Stepladder



0a. 29, 1935. P N H WARD 2,018,787

STEPLADDER Filed Sept. 1 1954 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 29, 1935 UNITED S TAT ES PAT orlca 2 Claims.

invention relates to step ladders, and has reference more particularly to improvements in.

means for bracing the legs thereof to insure the strength and rigidity of the ladder in use; it being the principal object of. this invention to provide a novel form of transverse brace for the ladder legs, whereby they may be held rigidly in spaced relation and which brace is of a character that will not interfere with the use of planks for scaffolds extended between the legs and across the .ladder steps.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a spreader of novel form whereby the ladder legs may be held against folding toward or away from the ladder when in use, and which is of a character that will not interfere with steps of the ladder when the ladder supports are folded or collapsed against the ladder.

Other objects of the invention reside in the details of construction of the transverse brace and of the spreader, and in their use and combination with other parts of the ladder.

In accomplishing the above and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a step ladder equipped with a cross brace and spreader in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a back view of the ladder showing the location of the spreader and brace.

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail illustrating the folding of the spreader when the ladder legs are collapsed against the ladder.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the spreader.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the cross brace.

Referring more in detail to the drawing:

l and 2 designate, respectively, the opposite side frames of a step ladder, and 3 the steps that are supported therebetween. At the upper end of the ladder is a top plate 4 and to the rear edge of this, the ladder legs 55 are pivotally attached, as indicated at 6 in Fig. 1. The construction provides that the legs 5-5 may be moved from a position disposed against the ladder, as designated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, to the extended position, as shown in full lines, thereby to support the ladder.

In order that the legs may be held positively against spreading or collapsing while the ladder is being used, I have provided the spreader device designated in its entirety by reference numeral I in Figs. 1 and 2 and shown in perspective in Fig. 4.

This device comprises two sets of spreader links, each set being composed of a forward link 8 that has its forward end pivotally attached to the ladder frame by a bolt 9 and a rearward link 10 that has its rearward end pivotally at- 5 tached by a bolt I I to the rear leg 5 at that side. The other ends of the two links are overlapped, as seen in Fig. 4, and are pivotally joined by a pivot bolt l2, which serves for both pairs of links. The two sets of links are formed inwardly toward 10 each other to provide a relatively short interval between their medial portions, and a handle member I3 is applied about the bolt I2 between the two sets of links.

In this arrangement the inner ends of the links 8 overlap the ends of links 10 beyond the point of connection by bolt l2 and each link 8 is provided at its inner end with an inturned lug I5 for abutment with the top edge of the adjacent link l0, thus to limit the downward hinging action of the links at this point of connection. However, the spreader may be broken upwardly, as shown in Fig. 3. The arrangement provides a positive connection whereby spreading of the legs 5--5 away from the ladder is positively limited to that extent provided for in the length of the linkage. Furthermore, the stop members l5 of the links 8 are so arranged that they permit the connected links to break downwardly a slight distance beyond dead center line between points of connection with the legs and ladder so that these parts cannot be accidentally collapsed.

Another feature of importance in this spreader construction resides in the upward curving of the forward ends of links 8, as at 8a, to an extent which will eliminate interference between links 8 and the ladder steps when the spreader is folded upwardly, as in Fig. 3, for collapsing of the legs.

Another feature of the invention resides in the construction and use of one or more horizontal brace members 2|] between the legs 5-5 in the present instance one of such braces is shown but it is understood that more may be employed if desirable. Each brace is formed from a single, flat plate of metal. The opposite longitudinal edge portions of the plate are bent laterally at right angles to provide stiffening flanges 2I-2l throughout the length of the piece between the legs, and its end portions are bent in a manner to form sockets 22 to receive the legs 5-5. As shown clearly in Fig. 5, each socket forming portion comprises an inside portion 23 bent laterally at right angles from the body of the brace, a base portion 24 and an outer side portioin 25. The

legs 5 fit snugly between the side portions 23 and 25 and against the base portion 24, and bolts 26 are extended through the parts 23 and 25 to secure the brace to the legs.

Additional bracket braces 28 may be used if desired and these are attached at their lower ends to the legs 5 at short distances below the ends of the horizontal brace and are attached at their upper ends to the lower flange of the cross brace.

The particular advantage of this type of brace resides in the fact that it does not interfere with the placing of a plank 30 across the ladder steps,

as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 for use as a scafiold. It gives rigidity to the leg structure and is permanently secured. It is apparent that when a plank 30 is placed across a step of the ladder, as shown in Fig. 1, it would be interfered with by a spreader, if the spreader was located above the step. However, the curving of the legs 8 of the spreader, as shown, permits them to be used closely adjacent the under side of the step and thus avoid interference.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a stepladder having a pair of spaced supporting legs pivotally attached at their upper ends to the ladder to swing from a position against the ladder to a position for supporting it in upright position; a cross brace for said supporting legs comprising a fiat plate of metal formed along its longitudinal edges with laterally turned integral flanges terminating short of the ends of the plate, said end portions oi! the plate beyond the flanges being bent inwardly at 5 right angles to provide the inside walls of leg receiving sockets, then bent outwardly to form the bottom walls of the sockets, then bent back to form the outside, walls of the sockets; said latter walls being spaced from and parallel with 10 their corresponding inside walls to receive the supporting legs between them.

- 2. In a stepladder having a pair of spaced supporting legs pivotally attached at their upper ends to the ladder to swing from a position against the ladder to a position for supporting it in upright position; a cross brace for said supporting legs comprising a fiat plate of metal of uniform width throughout its length with the opposite longitudinal edge portions bent laterally as stiffening flanges, said flanges terminating at distances from the ends of the plate, said end portions of the plate beyond the flanges being bent inwardly at'right angles to form the inside walls of leg receiving sockets, then outwardly to form the base walls of the sockets, then back into parallel spaced relation with the inside walls, the inside and outside walls of the sockets being formed with apertures for receiving bolts or the like to secure the legs therein.

PAUL N. HOWARD. 

